Kia Ora...

Somehow amidst the packing up of my house i managed to get Until Death (House of Bolton Prequel) released!! It's definitely one less thing to stress about as my departure date draws closer... only 4 days to go... eek!!

Actually as I'm sitting here writing this newsletter, there's less than three hours until I leave 2022 behind and step into 2023.What the new year holds for me is still very much up in the air... and will be filled with lots of firsts and opportunity -- well, once the house sells.

And before I get onto the rest of the newsletter, I want to thank everyone has read my books this year, signed up to my newsletter (and stayed), and followed me in all the different social media places. And I can promise that next year I will continue to keep writing stories that I hope you all will love.

Updates

Naomi Aoki

• Devotion... the final book in the Nagoya Crimes Trilogy is next up in the writing schedule. I already have a scene planned out for this book's epilogue, so now I only have to get the characters to that point... If you've not read the Nagoya Crimes Trilogy yet, now might be the time to do it.

Mandy Greenwood

• Next year I plan to re-edit, recover, and better unify the Silverdale Series'. I'm also hoping that in doing so that the characters in the final book will start talking and stick to one storyline idea. My fingers are crossed.
• While I haven't put into my writing schedule, if time allows I will get onto book four of The Moutrams which is likely to be A Knight Forged, because I've yet to settle on a title or a book cover for the other possible story waiting to be written in this series.
• And of course I'll continue on with the Crime Lords series, and Running for Home chapters in the newsletter.

MJ Green

• Until Death is now released and live on all sales platforms I publish with. There is a bonus epilogue available, but if this book is your first introduction to the House of Bolton series, then maybe hold off on reading it until you've at least read Rough Sketches (House of Bolton 3) if you're only wanting to read the MM books in the series.
• The next books in this series will be MF -- All That Glitters - Rosa and Calvino's story, and Love Unpicked - Connor and Teri's story -- and M/Enby, Black Velvet - Benito and Merrick's story.

New Release - Until Death

BLURB

Alberto Tomasi and Giovanni Beltrame were...

Childhood sweethearts who’d vowed to always be together.

Men adored by their cousins and revered by their siblings.

Internationally acclaimed classical musicians.

Mafia heirs who’d do anything to protect their family.

And they were two men who simply wanted to get married...

Except for that to happen, the marriage laws needed to change, and they need to convince the priest at their family’s church to marry them. It was only fair after all... their parents, grandparents had been married in that church. At least that’s what Alberto and Giovanni thought, and not even the reluctance of the priest to perform the ceremony would stop them... because in the end they wouldn’t give him a choice.

But the Church’s dogma wasn’t the only obstacle in the way of Alberto and Giovanni getting the wedding they wanted with an unknown enemy continuing to dog their every step.

Until Death can be read as a standalone book but will be best enjoyed when read in conjunction with at least Rough Sketches (House of Bolton 3). It is a 56k MM Mafia Romance featuring two lovable childhood sweethearts who love performing classical music as much as they do taking out their family’s enemies. 

Buy Now!

Running For Home - Chapter Six

“Shit!” Jordan cursed as the call ended abruptly. “That…that could’ve gone a lot fucking better.” He sighed and scrubbed at his face while hoping that he hadn’t cratered any chance of speaking with Mike again…of repairing their damaged relationship.

“What could have gone better?” a gruff voice asked startling Jordan, hands flailing as he grabbed for the table before the chair overbalanced and sent him sprawling to the floor. It probably wasn’t wise to swing back on it like he had, but everyone was hard pressed to get him to stop. He heaved a relieved sigh when the four legs of the chair rested back on the ground before lifting his gaze to meet that of his coach. “And shouldn’t you be somewhere else… like working with the trainers and the physio to ensure that you actually get to play again.”

Jordan placed his phone on the table while wincing at the coach’s disappointed stare. Mike wasn’t the only one who knew of his aversion to any form of training that didn’t take place in the bullpen. He loved pitching. Loved the sound the ball made when it landed in the catcher’s mitt…and nothing else, no matter how beneficial it was to him could come close to the giving Jordan that same level of satisfaction. Yet despite the threats he’d made to Mike, he had no intention of mentioning who he’d been speaking with.

“Just a phone call to someone that could’ve gone… a lot better than it did,” Jordan answered cagily.

Coached sighed, folded his arms across his chest and arched an eyebrow. “Well then, you’d better hurry up and apologise to him… grovel on your damn knees if you must. But I won’t have you ruining any chance I have of securing a damn good bullpen coach.”

“Not sure my argument with Mike would have any bearing on that,” Jordan muttered before cursing when he realised what he’d let slip.

Coach simply smirked at him, not appearing at all surprised who Jordan had snuck away to speak with. But then his smirk slipped away, and confusion took its place as Jordan’s words sunk in.

“I might have suggested the idea of him coming here to work… and it didn’t go well. Not at all…” Jordan shoved his hands into his hair and tugged at the longer strands on top. “Mike got quite agitated at the thought of it.”

“Look, that doesn’t surprise me at all,” Coach said. “This place was a big part of Mike’s life… his whole sense of self was tied to the sport and the world created around it.” He paused to draw in a deep breath. “And then it was ripped away from him before Mike was ready. But if there is anyone in this whole damn facility that can help climb out of whatever black hole he’s fallen into… then it will be you.”

Jordan groaned, hating the weight of expectation carried by those words. “It’s not that easy… Did you know he sent me divorce papers?” Coach shook his head. “Well, he did. Not that I signed them…or have any intention of signing them. But just because I’m willing to be there for him…doesn’t mean that Mike wants me to be.”

An awkward silence fell over the room as they stared at each other, neither knowing what to say next. Finally, Coach shook his head and walked out of the room leaving Jordan to stare at his phone.

He needed to apologise.

He needed to convince Mike that he still had something to give to the sport of baseball.

And Jordan needed to do it before management decided to give the position to someone else.

Blowing out a harsh breath, Jordan rocked back on the chair and clasped his hands behind his head. It would take some doing, but he refused to let the fragile lines of communication between him and Mike to shatter. Hell, even if they did shatter or Mike worked hard to destroy them, Jordan would simply pick up the frayed ends and tie them back together. Yet he couldn’t ignore the panic that had threaded its way through his husband’s voice… and no matter what Mike tried to say, or how many times he thrust divorce papers under Jordan’s nose, the man would always be his husband. Jordan refused to entertain any other possibility…and if Mike thought Jordan would give up on him, then his husband was in for a rude fucking surprise.

Mike might have given up on everything when his career ended, but Jordan hadn’t.

He picked up his phone and fired off a message.

Jordan: I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed the issue like I did. But I still want us to talk more. Love always.

He stared at the screen of his phone and waited for the delivery notification to flick over to read. Tried hard not to be disappointed when Mike didn’t immediately reply to his message. Jordan knew the chances were high that Mike would simply ignore it, but that didn’t stop him from firing off another.

Jordan: And you’re right, I shouldn’t be slacking off on my training just because I’m pissed that I can’t pitch. I’ll go for a run.”

Message sent and delivered, Jordan rose from his seat, pocketed his phone, and walked out of the meeting room. He headed down the hallway toward the teams gym facilities intending to snag one of the many treadmills set up there. Being as recognisable as Jordan was these days, he could no longer get his run in by pounding the pavements.

He’d just pushed through the doors into the facility when his phone buzzed. Jordan sucked a sharp breath and tried to push down the hope surging through his veins. He wanted it to be Mike…was afraid to that it wouldn’t be.

Mike: Good. Do at least 5kms, then work on your core strength.

Jordan snorted at the message. Every word contradicting Mike’s claim that he didn’t want the position of Pitching Coach currently vacant. Except those weren’t the words his husband had used. Mike had never said that he didn’t want the job… he’d only said that he couldn’t do it.

His phone buzzed again.

Mike: Maybe we can talk later.

Jordan grinned. Small as it might be Mike’s offer to keep talking was a win in his books.

****

House of Bolton Series

Tailored Heart - Bi/MF

Stitched Together - MF

Rough Sketches - MM

Runway Riot - Bi/FF